BACKGAMMON!

 We have been enjoying backgammon! The winner plays the next guy, etc!  Nyki cheers us on but would love nothing better than swiping one of those pieces into the pool!

MUD SPRINGS

In between storms on Wednesday, we decided to go to a State Park nearby that Bill and I hadn't been to but Matthew had  been several years ago.  The paths were well packed and pretty easy to traverse as long as you were careful of roots!

There was so much to photograph but the boys set the pace and it was much faster than my usual meander!  Isn't this unusual?  There are three native moth caterpillars that make a 'restaurant' at the tip of a fern frond to avoid being eaten themselves!

We saw several clumps of this plant which was new to me.  They were not very tall-about 6-7" is all and it the plant was not in bloom, I wouldn't notice it at all. After a quick Google search, I found it is the  “Orange milkwort”, Polygala lutea, and the root of this little flower smells like wintergreen!  Very cool!

After a mile and a half to reach the Springs itself.  It is really this beautiful turquoise color!

The bottom is farther away than it looks (about 7-8') and the Spring pumps out about a 1.4 milliion gallons daily into the St Johns River.  The water is 72F all the time-no matter the season!

We didn't swim this time but we will the next time we go!

This was fun to look at and note the many birds we see on a weekly basis,

The water cycle of Florida.

We saw this guy on the walk back to the truck.

These vines has grown together in a very tight braid!  

This soft-shell turtle was also spotted!  She is large and came up from the water level to lay her eggs.

She has a very flat shell that is not made of the hard sections of her cousins.  She measured about 20" across--very large!

The forest has seen some fire damage--

most likely from a lightening strike several years ago, going from the undergrowth recovery.

What an amazing excursion!

 

STORMS AND SUN

I have thoroughly enjoyed the top-down yoke sweater--it really moves along in the beginning!  I enjoyed the colorwork--accent in offwhite linen this time.

I missed 11 flowers last night because of T-Storms!!!!! 

 (Cereus blooms only once, at night--11pm-12am is best) 

t thought about dashing out to see them anyway but chickened out--it was really bad out!  I can only hope for some of the other plants to bloom later this summer with a nice balmy night and not one with lightening and thunder storms!

Everytime there is sunshine--

there are these two dolphins in my pool!!!!

BLESSING OF BEING GRANDPARENTS

During the morning yesterday, when I had made two rectangles which were going to become slippers, I received a phone call to babysit the boys as Matthew's sitter had to cancel!  No problem!  We decided to go early and spend some time with all of them after the boys got out of school.

Over the St Johns to Matthew's house! 

 What a beautiful day-mild and sunny and NO humidity!

On the way, I finished putting the seams in the slippers and gave them a try on--my toes are cramped due to the windshield! lol

Once we had the boys, we huriedly changed their clothes and headed to the park next to their home.

Bike riding is always a good after school activity!  They whizzed away and in back of us-probably doubling the distance I walked.

Look at the size of this stump--it is easily 5-6' across!  

Throughout the park are these hidden frogs-

very fun to spot along the way!

When we went near the water, the boys parked their bikes so they could throw stones...

and climbed the trees. 

 The wind was much stronger by the water!

The water was choppy and the waves were impressive!  If you look at the top right of the photo, you will see the end of the pier--a very long pier!  During Ian, the water was right up to the level of the pier! All of this area was under water, too!

Here we enjoyed the view from the end of the pier!

This is looking toward Jacksonville--you can see the skyline-just.

Heading back down the pier--you can see how far

 it juts out into the river!

I took a lot longer to walk back--I could feel my left hip catching and my right knee throbbed!  I was slow but determined to walk all the way back without help! lol

What a view!  This is looking southwest--away from Jax.

Look at this 1892 log cabin that was built to hold their wine making.  The walk did me a lot of good--especially the good company! 

Something Different!

Morning Snuggles-what a great way to start the day!  

Before they came yesterday, 

I did get the grout added and cleaned upon the second stepping stone!

And I played with the watercolor on the self-made paper! 

 It is rough so the painting felt very different and boy, did it absorb water! 

 The colors came out much more intense!

  It was interesting to work with and I will try again!

Off to breakfast the troops!

Have a good day!

 

Anticipation!

The official finished photo of the Patriot's Quilt.

36 x 48"

And the CoBoo Raglan is completed!

It is blocked and joy of joys, it fits!

It was a close call on the amount of yarn I calculated;

this is all that is left after seaming 

and stitching all of those turned hems by hand.

It is weightier than a wool sweater

but the silky sheen of the bamboo makes it a perfect southern fiber!

As I was blocking it--note the photo bomber in the background!

Yup, the boys are in town!

We had a lovely time baking and then painting together.